Voltage boost circuit

ABSTRACT

A voltage boost circuit for eDram using thin oxide field effect transistors (FETs) is disclosed. The voltage boost circuit includes a boost capacitor which is precharged with a precharge voltage in a precharge stage and which provides a boosted supply voltage to a thin oxide FET during a pump phase. The voltage boost circuit further include a drive capacitor which provides a turn on voltage to the thin oxide FET so that the boosted supply voltage can pass to an output node in the pump phase.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to semiconductor structures and, moreparticularly, to a voltage boost circuit for eDram using thin oxidefield effect transistors (FETs).

BACKGROUND

A voltage boost circuit or charge pump is an electronic circuit thatuses capacitors for energy storage to create a higher voltage powersource. By way of one implementation, voltage boost circuits are neededfor eDram's boosted word line VPP, and negative word line off voltage,VWL.

A challenge with charge pumps is that when creating a higher voltagepower source, e.g., two or three times a supply voltage, voltages may begenerated in excess of the oxide-stress limit of a field effecttransistor (FET), i.e., a stress limit of the gate oxide thickness. Thatis, node voltages within a voltage boost circuit can exceed thereliability limits of maximum Vdd voltage. This may cause a failure ofthe charge pump and hence fail to provide the required voltage boost.

To overcome these reliability issues, FET devices are designed to havean oxide stress limit greater than the output voltage of the pumpingsystem. Such a design requires a thick oxide which results in a lowperformance device. For example, these low performance thick-oxide FETshave a Vt of about 500 mv at worst case, and low voltage pump operationis poor and limited to about 750 mv. Thick-oxide FETs also useVPP-boosted phases which must be distributed to all pump banks and burnC(VPP)² power. Vds stresses can also be remedied by stacking FETs toshare the high differential voltage; however, this is expensive andrequires a large amount of chip space.

SUMMARY

In an aspect of the invention, a voltage boost circuit comprises a boostcapacitor which is precharged with a precharge voltage in a prechargestage and which provides a boosted supply voltage to a thin oxide FETduring a pump phase. The voltage boost circuit further comprises a drivecapacitor which provides a turn on voltage to the thin oxide FET so thatthe boosted supply voltage can pass to an output node in the pump phase.

In an aspect of the invention, a voltage boost circuit comprises a boostcapacitor, a drive capacitor and a thin oxide FET. The boost capacitorand the drive capacitor have a precharge voltage provided in a prechargephase. In a pump phase, a power supply voltage is added to the prechargevoltage of the boost capacitor to obtain a boosted output voltage passedthrough the thin oxide FET to an output node when the thin oxide FET isturned on by the precharge voltage of the drive capacitor applied at agate node of the thin oxide FET.

In an aspect of the invention, a method comprises: precharging a firstcapacitor and a second capacitor with a precharge voltage during aprecharge phase; boosting the precharge voltage of the first capacitorto a boosted output voltage during a pump phase; turning on a thin oxideFET by providing the precharge voltage of the second capacitor to a gatenode of the thin oxide FET; and passing the boosted output voltagethrough the thin oxide FET to an output node when the thin oxide FET isturned on.

In another aspect of the invention, a design structure tangibly embodiedin a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, ortesting an integrated circuit is provided. The design structurecomprises the structures of the present invention. In furtherembodiments, a hardware description language (HDL) design structureencoded on a machine-readable data storage medium comprises elementsthat when processed in a computer-aided design system generates amachine-executable representation of the voltage boost circuit, whichcomprises the structures of the present invention. In still furtherembodiments, a method in a computer-aided design system is provided forgenerating a functional design model of the voltage boost circuit. Themethod comprises generating a functional representation of thestructural elements of the voltage boost circuit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in the detailed description whichfollows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way ofnon-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a voltage boost circuit inaccordance with aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows input timing clocks using the voltage boost circuit inaccordance with aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a basic operation of the voltage boost circuit inaccordance with aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows generation of a restore phase with signal XL1 in accordancewith aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a charge up and transfer of Vdd to a transistor gate(GATEP) of the voltage boost circuit shown in FIG. 1, in accordance withaspects of the present invention

FIG. 6 shows IV characteristics of a 6-pump system in accordance withaspects of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a design process used in semiconductordesign, manufacture, and/or test.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to semiconductor structures and, moreparticularly, to a voltage boost circuit for eDram using thin oxidefield effect transistors (FETs). Advantageously, for example, gate biascircuits of the voltage boost circuit are designed to have a function ofa boosted internal voltage to provide a gate level to safely turn on athin-oxide PFET. That is, the present invention provides a structure andmethod of developing a FET on-gate voltage which is controlled to alevel less than the reliability limit set by the maximum power supplyvoltage.

More specifically, the present invention is directed to a voltage boostcircuit wherein a 2-terminal capacitor is charged to a power supplylevel in a precharge phase, and both terminals of the capacitor aredisconnected from the power supply level in a pump phase and connectedto a gate and source of an output FET to limit the gate-to-source oxidestress to a voltage determined by the power supply level. Inimplementation, the capacitor can be precharged to Vdd, and bothterminals can be switched across Vgs of the output FET to provide anon-voltage Vgs of Vdd, or less. Reliability limits are thus set to theVdd supply voltage.

The voltage boost circuit of the present invention can be manufacturedin a number of ways using a number of different tools. In general,though, the methodologies and tools are used to form structures withdimensions in the micrometer and nanometer scale. The methodologies,i.e., technologies, employed to manufacture the voltage boost circuit ofthe present invention have been adopted from integrated circuit (IC)technology. For example, the structures of the present invention arebuilt on wafers and are realized in films of material patterned byphotolithographic processes on the top of a wafer. In particular, thefabrication of the voltage boost circuit of the present invention usesthree basic building blocks: (i) deposition of thin films of material ona substrate, (ii) applying a patterned mask on top of the films byphotolithographic imaging, and (iii) etching the films selectively tothe mask.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a voltage boost circuit inaccordance with aspects of the present invention. In embodiments, thevoltage boost circuit 100 is a two stage voltage pump circuit thatgenerates an output, boosted voltage on output node VPP. By way ofexample, the two stages of the voltage boost circuit 100 include aprecharge phase and a boost/pump phase. In the precharge phase of thevoltage boost circuit 100, capacitor C0 and capacitor C1 will beprecharged to Vdd; whereas, in the boost/pump phase, the prechargedvoltage of capacitor C0 will be added to Vdd (and the precharged voltageof capacitor C1 will be provided as a gate voltage GATEP (to open a FETT3 and reduce the voltage difference between the source and drain) inorder to boost the output voltage at output node VPP.

In embodiments, the boosted voltage on output node VPP is approximately2× a supply voltage, Vdd. For example, an output boosted voltage ofapproximately 2.0 V at node VPP can be obtained with a supply voltageVdd of approximately 1V. In contrast to conventional voltage boostcircuits, the voltage boost circuit 100 of the present invention canprovide the boosted voltage output voltage using lower voltage limitFETs, e.g., thin gate oxide FETs, without sacrificing reliability andperformance. For example, the voltage boost circuit 100 may use anapproximately 10-Angstrom gate oxide thickness FET (T3) that can onlywithstand a gate oxide stress voltage of approximately 1.0 V. In morespecific embodiments, the voltage boost circuit 100 comprises thefollowing thin oxide, high performance FETs with exemplary gate widths:(i) T1=15μ; (ii) T2, T3=10μ; (iii) T4=15μ; (iv) T5, T8, T9, T10, T15=2μ;(v) T6, T14, T19, T20, T22, T26=1μ; (vi) T7, T11, T12, T13, T21 ,T27=640nm; and (vii) T17=4μ. In embodiments, FETs T1-T4 are connected to outputnode VPP.

In embodiments, the precharge phase of the voltage boost circuit 100will precharge the capacitor C0 to Vdd, e.g., 1 V. The precharging phasecan be performed by turning on FETs T4 and T2. In this way, FET T4 canprecharge the capacitor C0 to Vdd, e.g., 1 V, while FET T2 can connectnode L1 to 0 V. In the boost/pump phase, FETs T4 and T2 are turned off,and FET T1 is turned on. This will lift node L1 to Vdd, e.g., 1 V, sothat it can be added to the voltage Vdd of the precharged capacitor C0.This, in turn, will bring the voltage at node V1 to 2× supply voltage,e.g., 2 V. The boosted voltage can then be passed through FET T3 tooutput node VPP.

As to not overstress FET T3, e.g., exceed its oxide reliability (Vdd inthis example), FET T3 remains turned off until output gate voltage atnode GATEP can be appropriately charged by drive-cap precharge circuit200 (during the boost phase). That is, the drive-cap precharge circuit200 will generate a gate voltage at node GATEP (e.g., V1−Vdd) which, inturn, can be applied across the gate and source of FET T3. As should beunderstood by those of skill in the art, not only will the gate voltageof node GATEP turn on the FET T3, it will also provide an on-voltageacross the FET T3 which is below its reliability limit, e.g., thevoltage difference between the source and drain of FET T3 will notexceed the reliability limit of FET T3 (e.g., V1−Vdd). By turning on FETT3 with the gate voltage of node GATEP, the 2× supply voltage, e.g., 2V, at node V1 can pass through FET T3 to the output node VPP.

Referring to the control of the drive-cap precharge circuit 200, duringthe precharge phase, capacitor C1 can be precharged to Vdd (e.g., 1 V)by two activation signals: (i) a high input clock signal B makes XL1node low to turn on FET T21; and (ii) a high input clock signal BBUF toturn on FET T27 and bring CAPL to GND (e.g., 0 V). In the prechargephase, XOFFN will also restore node GATEP to a high voltage, VPP, byturning on FET T5, thus ensuring that FET T3 remains turned off (e.g.,is not overstressed) until the boost/pump phase. Also, in the prechargephase, capacitors C0 and C1 will have the same voltage, e.g., 1 V.

After the precharge phase (e.g., during the boost/pump phase), FETs T2,T4, T5, T21 are turned off and Vdd (1 V) of capacitor C1 is supplied tonode GATEP of FET T3 as a gate voltage (V1−Vdd). In more specificembodiments, due to parasitic capacitance, the gate voltage at nodeGATEP is (V1−Vdd)/C1/(C1+Cp)), where Cp is a parasitic capacitance. Asdescribed in more detail herein, gate voltage is provided at node GATEPby turning on isolation FETs T6 and T26. As noted herein, the gatevoltage, e.g., V1−Vdd, turns on FET T3, while also ensuring that FET T3will not exceed its reliability limit, e.g., be overstressed. That is,the gate voltage of node GATEP will lower the voltage of node V1 towithin acceptable limits for a thin oxide device. It should thus beunderstood that FETs T5, T6 and T26 can control the output gate voltageof node GATEP, and pass an on-gate voltage equal to or less than V1−Vddto FET T3. Accordingly, in this way, the drive-cap precharge circuit 200will ensure that the voltage across FET T3 will always be less than thereliability limit.

In embodiments, the transfer control circuit 300 provides a restoresignal XL1 to the drive-cap precharge circuit 200, e.g., FET T21, andFET T26. For example, XL1 can provide control for connecting the CAPHand CAPL terminals to Vdd and GND, respectively, in the precharge phasewhen BBUF is high and XL1 is at GND (low). More specifically, during theprecharge phase, a high input clock signal B will be inverted throughFETs T19 and T25, resulting in a low XLI signal. The low XLI signal willturn on FET T5. This low XLI signal will also turn off (control) FETT26. In contrast, during the boost/pump phase, input signal B is low,which turns off the FETs T27 and T21, allowing the nodes of C1 to float.Also, during the boost/pump phase, a high V1 signal passes through FETT17 and turns on FET T26, allowing conduction between CAPL and GATEP,e.g., passing the precharge voltage of C1 to node GATEP of FET T3.

In embodiments, RBIAS generator circuit 400 can tailor the current ofRBIAS during the precharge phase and boost/pump phase to provide afunctional transfer of signal XL1 to the drive-cap precharge circuit200, allowing CAPL to connect to the GATEP node of FET T3 during, e.g.,the boost/pump phase. In embodiments, the RBIAS generator circuit 400will also generate an RBIAS signal to control FET T17 (of the transfercontrol circuit 300) which, in turn, provides the high V1 signal to turnoff the FET T3. In embodiments, the RBIAS is a function of VCMN, e.g., abandgap voltage reference, and is preferably at a voltage level betweenVdd and GND. For example, in embodiments, the RBIAS generator circuit400 produces a bias voltage of about 2-Vt below the boosted node voltageV1. In embodiments, RBIAS voltage level is high when the input voltageV1 rises. The RBIAS voltage will also rise close to power supply, Vddwhen input BBUF is low.

FIG. 2 shows input timing clocks using the voltage boost circuit of FIG.1, in accordance with aspects of the present invention. In embodiments,the voltage boost circuit is run by 2-non-overlapping phases A and B,and a translated version of A which cycles between VPP and VPP2. VoltageVPP2 is a regulated voltage chosen to be approximately VPP−Vdd_max,where Vdd_max is the highest Vdd allowed by the limitations ofgate-oxide and other technology related limits. Input VCMN is a currentminor voltage which produces a 15 μa current through a 1μ/480 nm devicein this example.

FIG. 3 shows a basic operation of the voltage boost circuit of FIG. 1,in accordance with aspects of the present invention. In the example ofFIG. 3, the output voltage VPP is regulated to 1.6V and Vdd is at itsmaximum of 1.05V. In the precharge time frame from 181 to 182, nodes L1and V1 of capacitor C0 are restored to GND and Vdd, respectively, GATEPis at VPP, and transfer gate signal XL1 is at GND. Immediately prior totime 182, the A phase is activated and restore phase for signal XL1rises and is coupled to node V1 to hold-off (turn-off) FET T4. Node L1is lifted to Vdd slowly by discharge of ABUFN through VCMN currentsource, which causes node V1 to rise toward 2×Vdd. The gate of outputFET T3, i.e., gate voltage GATEP, is driven to (V1−Vdd*n), where n is anefficiency factor less than 1 and defined by the ratio of GATEP nodecapacitance and the drive capacitance C1. Charge from boost capacitor C0is transferred into output node VPP.

FIG. 4 shows generation of a restore phase XL1 in accordance withaspects of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the restore phaseof signal XL1 is generated by the transfer control circuit 300 inFIG. 1. An input to the transfer control circuit 300 is bias voltageRBIAS which is intended to turn on PFET T17 connected to node V1 at asafe gate-voltage limit. The RBIAS generator circuit 400 of FIG. 1restores node RBIAS to Vdd in the precharge phase when conduction fromboosted node V1 is cut off. In the pump phase, inputs A and BBUFN arehigh and a predetermined current is drawn through T11 and T12 throughcurrent source of FET T15. Voltage RBIAS is thereby dropped to a voltageclose to V1−2*Vt, which is sufficient to turn on a PFET (e.g., FET T17)with its source at node V1. In the precharge phase, both nodes V1 andRBIAS are at Vdd so FET T17 of the transfer control circuit 300 of FIG.1 is off. Input XOFF is at VPP, so FET T18 of FIG. 1 is also off. InputB is high so node XL1 is discharged to GND through stacked isolation FETT19 of FIG. 1. Node XL1 is used to turn on precharge device PFET T4, andturn off isolation NFET T26.

FIG. 5 shows a charge up and transfer of Vdd to GATEP of the voltagepump shown in FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention. In accordance with FIG. 5, the drive-cap precharge circuit200 shown in FIG. 1 connects CAPH and CAPL terminals to Vdd and GND,respectively, in the precharge phase when BBUF is high, and signal XL1is at GND. XOFFN is low at VPP2 level which turns on FET T5 and holdsnode GATEP at VPP level to cut off output FET T3. In the pump phase,input B and buffered node BBUF go low which releases node XL1. XOFFNgoes high to VPP which cuts off restore FET T5, and XOFF going low turnson FET T13 and allows restore phase XL1 to rise to VPP level. The VPPlevel flows through stack device PFET T9 which is held on with gatevoltage RBIAS. Restore phase XL1 is driven towards level VPP initiallyand then when boosted node V1 rises above VPP, conduction through T17drives XL1 to V1 level. Any V1 conduction back through FET T13 to VPPaides transfer of boosted charge to VPP by output FET T3. With boostedlevel V1 high, and precharge phase XL1 at boosted level V1, FET T17 isoff and capacitor C1 terminal CAPH rises to V1 level from conductionthrough T22. Terminal CAPL rises with CAPH to a level Vdd below V1. NFETT26 turns on and couples terminal CAPL to GATEP through stack FET T6.

Charge sharing from the node GATEP net will guarantee that stress onoutput FET T3 will be less than Vdd. In other words, the source of FETT3 is at V1 potential and the gate is at a potential (V1−Vdd*n), where nis the capacitance ratio between node GATEP and the capacitance of C1.This gate drive is sufficient to transfer charge from boosted node V1 tooutput node of FET T3 and is below the maximum Vgs defined by the levelof maximum Vdd.

FIG. 6 shows IV characteristics of a 6-pump system in accordance withaspects of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 6 shows anexemplary VPP system of 6-pumps clocked with dual clocks 180 degreesapart by a 650-mhz oscillator. Output current I_VPP at 1.2 volts isabout 3 μa.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a design process used in semiconductordesign, manufacture, and/or test. FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of anexemplary design flow 900 used for example, in semiconductor IC logicdesign, simulation, test, layout, and manufacture. Design flow 900includes processes, machines and/or mechanisms for processing designstructures or devices to generate logically or otherwise functionallyequivalent representations of the design structures and/or devicesdescribed above and shown in FIG. 1. The design structures processedand/or generated by design flow 900 may be encoded on machine-readabletransmission or storage media to include data and/or instructions thatwhen executed or otherwise processed on a data processing systemgenerate a logically, structurally, mechanically, or otherwisefunctionally equivalent representation of hardware components, circuits,devices, or systems. Machines include, but are not limited to, anymachine used in an IC design process, such as designing, manufacturing,or simulating a circuit, component, device, or system. For example,machines may include: lithography machines, machines and/or equipmentfor generating masks (e.g. e-beam writers), computers or equipment forsimulating design structures, any apparatus used in the manufacturing ortest process, or any machines for programming functionally equivalentrepresentations of the design structures into any medium (e.g. a machinefor programming a programmable gate array).

Design flow 900 may vary depending on the type of representation beingdesigned. For example, a design flow 900 for building an applicationspecific IC (ASIC) may differ from a design flow 900 for designing astandard component or from a design flow 900 for instantiating thedesign into a programmable array, for example a programmable gate array(PGA) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) offered by Altera® Inc.or Xilinx® Inc.

FIG. 7 illustrates multiple such design structures including an inputdesign structure 920 that is preferably processed by a design process910. Design structure 920 may be a logical simulation design structuregenerated and processed by design process 910 to produce a logicallyequivalent functional representation of a hardware device. Designstructure 920 may also or alternatively comprise data and/or programinstructions that when processed by design process 910, generate afunctional representation of the physical structure of a hardwaredevice. Whether representing functional and/or structural designfeatures, design structure 920 may be generated using electroniccomputer-aided design (ECAD) such as implemented by a coredeveloper/designer. When encoded on a machine-readable datatransmission, gate array, or storage medium, design structure 920 may beaccessed and processed by one or more hardware and/or software moduleswithin design process 910 to simulate or otherwise functionallyrepresent an electronic component, circuit, electronic or logic module,apparatus, device, or system such as those shown in FIG. 1. As such,design structure 920 may comprise files or other data structuresincluding human and/or machine-readable source code, compiledstructures, and computer-executable code structures that when processedby a design or simulation data processing system, functionally simulateor otherwise represent circuits or other levels of hardware logicdesign. Such data structures may include hardware-description language(HDL) design entities or other data structures conforming to and/orcompatible with lower-level HDL design languages such as Verilog andVHDL, and/or higher level design languages such as C or C++.

Design process 910 preferably employs and incorporates hardware and/orsoftware modules for synthesizing, translating, or otherwise processinga design/simulation functional equivalent of the components, circuits,devices, or logic structures shown in FIG. 1 to generate a netlist 980which may contain design structures such as design structure 920.Netlist 980 may comprise, for example, compiled or otherwise processeddata structures representing a list of wires, discrete components, logicgates, control circuits, I/O devices, models, etc. that describes theconnections to other elements and circuits in an integrated circuitdesign. Netlist 980 may be synthesized using an iterative process inwhich netlist 980 is resynthesized one or more times depending on designspecifications and parameters for the device. As with other designstructure types described herein, netlist 980 may be recorded on amachine-readable data storage medium or programmed into a programmablegate array. The medium may be a non-volatile storage medium such as amagnetic or optical disk drive, a programmable gate array, a compactflash, or other flash memory. Additionally, or in the alternative, themedium may be a system or cache memory, buffer space, or electrically oroptically conductive devices and materials on which data packets may betransmitted and intermediately stored via the Internet, or othernetworking suitable means.

Design process 910 may include hardware and software modules forprocessing a variety of input data structure types including netlist980. Such data structure types may reside, for example, within libraryelements 930 and include a set of commonly used elements, circuits, anddevices, including models, layouts, and symbolic representations, for agiven manufacturing technology (e.g., different technology nodes, 32 nm,45 nm, 90 nm, etc.). The data structure types may further include designspecifications 940, characterization data 950, verification data 960,design rules 970, and test data files 985 which may include input testpatterns, output test results, and other testing information. Designprocess 910 may further include, for example, standard mechanical designprocesses such as stress analysis, thermal analysis, mechanical eventsimulation, process simulation for operations such as casting, molding,and die press forming, etc. One of ordinary skill in the art ofmechanical design can appreciate the extent of possible mechanicaldesign tools and applications used in design process 910 withoutdeviating from the scope and spirit of the invention. Design process 910may also include modules for performing standard circuit designprocesses such as timing analysis, verification, design rule checking,place and route operations, etc.

Design process 910 employs and incorporates logic and physical designtools such as HDL compilers and simulation model build tools to processdesign structure 920 together with some or all of the depictedsupporting data structures along with any additional mechanical designor data (if applicable), to generate a second design structure 990.

Design structure 990 resides on a storage medium or programmable gatearray in a data format used for the exchange of data of mechanicaldevices and structures (e.g. information stored in a IGES, DXF,Parasolid XT, JT, DRG, or any other suitable format for storing orrendering such mechanical design structures). Similar to designstructure 920, design structure 990 preferably comprises one or morefiles, data structures, or other computer-encoded data or instructionsthat reside on transmission or data storage media and that whenprocessed by an ECAD system generate a logically or otherwisefunctionally equivalent form of one or more of the embodiments of theinvention shown in FIG. 1. In one embodiment, design structure 990 maycomprise a compiled, executable HDL simulation model that functionallysimulates the devices shown in FIG. 1.

Design structure 990 may also employ a data format used for the exchangeof layout data of integrated circuits and/or symbolic data format (e.g.information stored in a GDSII (GDS2), GL1, OASIS, map files, or anyother suitable format for storing such design data structures). Designstructure 990 may comprise information such as, for example, symbolicdata, map files, test data files, design content files, manufacturingdata, layout parameters, wires, levels of metal, vias, shapes, data forrouting through the manufacturing line, and any other data required by amanufacturer or other designer/developer to produce a device orstructure as described above and shown in FIG. 1. Design structure 990may then proceed to a stage 995 where, for example, design structure990: proceeds to tape-out, is released to manufacturing, is released toa mask house, is sent to another design house, is sent back to thecustomer, etc.

The method(s) as described above is used in the fabrication ofintegrated circuit chips. The resulting integrated circuit chips can bedistributed by the fabricator in raw wafer form (that is, as a singlewafer that has multiple unpackaged chips), as a bare die, or in apackaged form. In the latter case the chip is mounted in a single chippackage (such as a plastic carrier, with leads that are affixed to amotherboard or other higher level carrier) or in a multichip package(such as a ceramic carrier that has either or both surfaceinterconnections or buried interconnections). In any case the chip isthen integrated with other chips, discrete circuit elements, and/orother signal processing devices as part of either (a) an intermediateproduct, such as a motherboard, or (b) an end product. The end productcan be any product that includes integrated circuit chips, ranging fromtoys and other low-end applications to advanced computer products havinga display, a keyboard or other input device, and a central processor.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed:
 1. A voltage boost circuit, comprising: a boostcapacitor which is precharged with a precharge voltage in a prechargestage and which provides a boosted supply voltage to a thin oxide FETduring a pump phase; and a drive capacitor which provides a turn onvoltage to the thin oxide FET so that the boosted supply voltage canpass to an output node in the pump phase.
 2. The voltage boost circuitof claim 1, wherein the boosted supply voltage is approximately 2× of asupply voltage.
 3. The voltage boost circuit of claim 1, furthercomprising a first transistor which supplies a first terminal of theboost capacitor with the precharge voltage and a second transistor whichis turned on to provide GND to a second terminal of the boost capacitor.4. The voltage boost circuit of claim 3, further comprising a thirdtransistor which, in the pump phase, is turned on to add a supplyvoltage to the boost capacitor to obtain the boosted supply voltage. 5.The voltage boost circuit of claim 4, wherein, in the pump phase, thefirst transistor and the second transistor are turned off and the thinoxide FET is turned on by the voltage from the drive capacitor which isless than the boosted supply voltage.
 6. The voltage boost circuit ofclaim 5, wherein the voltage from the drive capacitor is equal to theprecharge voltage, and the precharge voltage subtracted from the boostedsupply voltage is below a reliability limit of the thin oxide FET. 7.The voltage boost circuit of claim 1, further comprising a drive-capprecharge circuit which comprises the drive capacitor and a transistorwhich is controlled by a transfer control circuit, wherein: thedrive-cap precharge circuit precharges the drive capacitor with theprecharge voltage during the precharge phase; and the transistor isturned on by a low signal received from the transfer control circuit inorder to charge the drive capacitor with the precharge voltage.
 8. Thevoltage boost circuit of claim 7, wherein the precharge voltage isprovided to a node of the thin oxide FET during the pump phase byopening a plurality of transistors coupled to the thin oxide FET.
 9. Thevoltage boost circuit of claim 8, further comprising a bias generatorwhich tailors a current during the precharge phase and pump phase toprovide a functional transfer of signal XL1 to the drive-cap prechargecircuit.
 10. The voltage boost circuit of claim 9, wherein the biasgenerator provides a signal to the transistor of the drive-cap prechargecircuit to turn it on.
 11. The voltage boost circuit of claim 9, whereina restore transistor provides a high voltage to the thin oxide FETduring the precharge stage to maintain an off state of the thin oxideFET, wherein the high voltage is higher than the precharge voltage. 12.A voltage boost circuit comprising a boost capacitor, a drive capacitorand a thin oxide FET, wherein the boost capacitor and the drivecapacitor have a precharge voltage provided in a precharge phase, and,in a pump phase, a power supply voltage is added to the prechargevoltage of the boost capacitor to obtain a boosted output voltage passedacross the thin oxide FET to an output node when the thin oxide FET isturned on by the precharge voltage of the drive capacitor applied at agate node of the thin oxide FET.
 13. The voltage boost circuit of claim12, wherein the boosted output voltage is above a reliability limit ofthe thin oxide FET.
 14. The voltage boost circuit of claim 13, wherein adifference between the precharge voltage provided by the drive capacitorand the boosted output voltage provided by the boost capacitor is belowa reliability limit of the thin oxide FET.
 15. The voltage boost circuitof claim 12, further comprising respective transistors that are turnedon to precharge the boost capacitor and the drive capacitor with asupply voltage.
 16. The voltage boost circuit of claim 15, furthercomprising a supply voltage transistor that is turned on during the pumpphase to provide the supply voltage to the boost capacitor when therespective transistors are turned off.
 17. The voltage boost circuit ofclaim 12, further comprising a restore transistor which provides a highvoltage to the thin oxide FET during the precharge stage to maintain anoff state of the thin oxide FET, wherein the high voltage is higher thanthe precharge voltage.
 18. The voltage boost circuit of claim 12,further comprising a drive-cap precharge circuit which comprises thedrive capacitor and a transistor which is controlled by a transfercontrol circuit, wherein: the drive-cap precharge circuit precharges thedrive capacitor with the precharge voltage during the precharge phase byturning on the transistor; and the transistor is turned on by a lowsignal received from the transfer control circuit in order to charge thedrive capacitor with the precharge voltage.
 19. The voltage boostcircuit of claim 18, further comprising a bias generator which tailors acurrent during the precharge phase and pump phase to provide afunctional transfer of signal XL1 to the drive-cap precharge circuit,wherein the signal XL1 is an inverted input signal to turn on thetransistor of the drive-cap precharge circuit.
 20. A method comprising:precharging a first capacitor and a second capacitor with a prechargevoltage during a precharge phase; boosting the precharge voltage of thefirst capacitor to a boosted output voltage during a pump phase; turningon a thin oxide FET by providing the precharge voltage of the secondcapacitor to a gate node of the thin oxide FET; and passing the boostedoutput voltage through the thin oxide FET to an output node when thethin oxide FET is turned on.